"Who are you?!" one of the guards exclaimed in alarm as Lomar and Nora burst into the palace.
"This is the Palace!!" another shouted futilely before Lomar swiftly dispatched them with a powerful swing of his legs.
"Is it here?" Lomar asked, his gaze fixed on Nora, whose appearance had shifted to resemble Doria's.
Nora nodded, her features morphing back to Doria's. "Yes, it's here," she confirmed, pointing towards a nearby wall.
"Good." Discarding Doria's lifeless body, Lomar brandished his sting and drove it forcefully into the wall.
With a deafening explosion, a surge of Prana energy emanated from Lomar, obliterating the wall and the mana circles guarding it. Seizing the Queen with his tail, he descended the dark staircase with Nora in tow.
Meanwhile, a few meters away, Celeste crouched behind a pillar, her face drained of color as she observed the scene unfolding before her.
